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The Kingdom of Bhutan

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The Kingdom of Bhutan Updated March 23, 2020 The Kingdom of Bhutan Background were best served by elected leaders. The first election went The Kingdom of Bhutan, also known as the Land of the smoothly in 2008, and the second, in 2013, brought a Thunder Dragon, is a small, landlocked Himalayan country situated between India and China. The mountainous Figure 1.Bhutan in Brief kingdom is about half the size of Indiana, with an estimated population of 782,000, approximately 115,000 of them in and around the capital city, Thimphu. Bhutan’s economy has grown primarily as a result of hydropower, agriculture, and forestry development. The United States has no significant trade relations with Bhutan, and its foreign aid mission and bilateral consular affairs are handled by the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, India. Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan visited Bhutan in August, 2019. Bhutan has participated in a U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) regional program for South Asia directed at developing power infrastructure, and it has implemented programs intended to help mitigate some of the effects of climate change. With 70% forest cover and extensive hydropower, Bhutan is a carbon negative country. The Constitution, Elections, and the King The constitution of Bhutan establishes three branches of Source: CIA World Factbook, Economist Intelligence Unit, Media government: legislative, executive, and judicial. The bicameral legislature, or Chi Tshog, includes the National Assembly (Tshogdu), with 47 elected representatives, and peaceful transition of power in which the opposition the National Council (Gyelyong Tshongde), with 25 People’s Democratic Party won 32 of the 42 elected members, 5 of which are selected by the king. Legislators National Assembly seats. Lotay Tshering’s Bhutan United serve five-year terms. The executive branch includes the Party won the 2018 National Assembly elections with 30 of “Dragon King” (Druk Gyalpo), currently King Jigme 47 seats. Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, as Head of State, and the prime minister, presently Lotay Tshering, as Head of The birth of the hereditary Wangchuck dynasty in 1907 has Government. The king is hereditary and appoints the shaped Bhutan’s democracy. The first ruler, King Ugyen majority leader in the parliament as prime minister. There is (1907-1926), introduced reforms and Western education. also a Council of Ministers (Lhengye Zhungtshog), whose The second ruler, King Jigme (1926-1952), continued his members are nominated by the king, in consultation with father’s moderation and centralization efforts by building the prime minister, and approved by the National more schools and roads and bringing public institutions Assembly. Ministers serve five-year terms. The judiciary under government control. Two generations later, the third consists of the Supreme Court, the High Court, District ruler, King Jigme Dorji (1952-1972), established a high Courts (Dzongkhag), and Sub-District Courts (Dungkhag). court, introduced a bicameral legislative branch, set up a The Supreme Court has five members. The Chief Justice, planning commission, and created the Council of Ministers. appointed by the king, serves up to two five-year terms, and The sudden death of the third king brought his son, King the four Associate Justices (Drangpons) serve up to two 10- Jigme Singye (1972-2006), to power, and, like his year terms. forefathers, King Jigme Singye continued his father’s legacy. In 2006, the fourth King abdicated in favor of his Bhutan’s path to democracy was not spurred by a popular son, Jigme Khesar Namgyel, who started a top-down movement but rather was initiated and encouraged by the democratic process. In July 2008, Bhutan’s political system fourth and fifth kings of the Wangchuck dynasty. changed from an absolute monarchy to constitutional According to Bhutan’s first prime minister, Jigme Y. monarchy with a parliamentary form of government. Thinley, who came to power in the country’s first election of 2008, the Bhutanese people were apprehensive about the Ethnic, Religious, and Refugee Issues new system because “in many of the countries, democracy Bhutan has four ethnic groups: the Ngalops (westerners), had failed or was in the process of failing, and leading to the Sharchop (easterners), aboriginal people, and the tremendous upheavals, strife among the people.” The king, Lhotshampa (southerners). The Ngalops migrated from however, insisted that the long-term interests of the people Tibet to Bhutan around the ninth century. They introduced Tibetan culture and Mahayana Buddhism to Bhutan. The https://crsreports.congress.gov The Kingdom of Bhutan Ngalops are the majority in central, western, and northern treaties promised the policy of “no interference in the Bhutan, and they dominate cultural, religious, and political internal administration of Bhutan” and provided protection elements in modern Bhutan. The Sharchops are thought to from external encroachment. India is Bhutan’s key strategic have originated from Assam, in present-day India, or and economic partner. India and Bhutan signed another perhaps Burma, and they also practice Mahayana Treaty of Friendship in 2007 granting Bhutan more Buddhism. Several aboriginal groups (Drokpa, Lepcha, independence in its foreign and defense relations. Bhutan Doya) live and practice Hinduism throughout Bhutan. has joined a number of international organizations and Hindu Nepali settlers, the fourth group, are the majority in entered into several international agreements. It was a co- the south. These southerners, or Lhotshampa, arrived from founding member of the South Asian Association for Nepal. Many of the Lhotshampa settlers are not legal Regional Cooperation (SAARC) in 1985 and joined the residents of Bhutan. South Asian Free Trade Agreement in 2004. Bhutan is also a member of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-sectoral During the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Thimphu Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC). Bhutan government viewed the Lhotshampa, which made up about has representation at the United Nations, which it joined in 28% of the population, as a threat to the country’s cultural 1971. Bhutan also joined 174 other countries to sign the identity. Many Lhotshampa were expelled or voluntarily Paris Agreement on Climate Change in 2016. Bilateral emigrated to India and Nepal, evading government attempts relations with the United States are limited, with no formal to forcibly integrate them into mainstream Bhutanese diplomatic relations. According to the U.S. Department of culture. This tension led to unrest in the south of Bhutan in State, however, “the two countries maintain warm informal the early 1990s and resulted in an estimated 107,000 Hindu relations.” The United States has helped resettle Nepali settlers returning to Nepal as refugees. Lhotshampa refugees residing in Nepal. China and Bhutan do not have formal diplomatic relations. Economic Development and “Gross National Happiness (GNH)” Doklam In recent years, Bhutan has experienced consistent With a population of less than 1 million, Bhutan is dwarfed economic growth. New hydropower plants are expected to by India (1.3 billion) and China (1.4 billion), and since the come online while past hydropower profits have been 1962 border war between China and India periodic tensions invested by the government in public health care, between the two powers have complicated Bhutan’s contributing to an increase in Bhutanese life expectancy. external situation. Border tensions between China and India Bhutan fits the low middle-income group profile. In escalated in mid-June 2017, while Indian Prime Minister contrast to Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the concept of Modi was in Washington, DC, to meet with President measuring Gross National Happiness (GNH) has a deep- Trump. Possibly intending to signal displeasure over rooted history in Bhutanese culture. In 1987, the fourth king developing ties between India and the United States, China stated, “We are convinced that we must aim for extended an unpaved road near Doklam on the disputed contentment and happiness.” The king’s vision of happiness border between China and Bhutan, high in the Himalayas. has since been enshrined in Article 9 of the 2008 China’s road-building activity was first revealed by a Royal Constitution of Bhutan, which reads, “The State shall strive Bhutan Army Patrol that sought to dissuade the Chinese to promote those conditions that will enable the pursuit of from continuing. Indian military personnel subsequently Gross National Happiness.” Established by the Royal moved to the border area and a standoff ensued until a de- Government of Bhutan, the Centre for Bhutan Studies & escalation of tensions in August, 2017. Doklam is located in Gross National Happiness Research (CBS & GNH), which territory disputed by Bhutan and China to the north of the describes itself as “an autonomous research institute” based Siliguri Corridor. The corridor, also known as the in the capital Thimphu, is mandated by the government to “chicken’s neck” and 20 miles wide at its narrowest, links study the GNH concept and develop indicators for the central India with its seven northeastern states. Chinese Royal Government of Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness control of the corridor would isolate 45 million Indians in Commission (GNHC), which is responsible for integrating an area the size of the United Kingdom. “GNH into national planning process.” The GNHC chair and vice chair are the prime minister and finance minister, Other Security Concerns respectively.
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